Chart and drawing file device



April 1967 G. D. STEPHENS Em. 3,316,046

CHART AND DRAWIfiG FILE DEVICE Filed June 14, 1965 4 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTORS: ROBERT C. MORSINIK V GILES D. STEPHENS FIG. I J

P" 25, 1967 G. D. STEPHENS ETAL CHART AND DRAWING FILE DEVICE 7 Filed June 14, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: ROBERT C. MORSINK OQQQOQ O QOOQOOOQOQQO OQOOOQQOQOOOOQOOOOOOQ QQQQOOQQOQOOQQOOOOQQO OOQQOOOQQOQOQQOOOOOOO OOOQOQQOQOQOQOQOQQOQO @QQQQQQOOOOOOQOQOQQOO 06D GOO OOO QQO OOQ QQO QQ L GILES D. STEPHENS p 25, 1967 G. 0. STEPHENS ETAL 3,316,046

CHART AND DRAWING FILE DEVICE Filed June 14, 1965 E FIG. 3

INVENTORS: ROBERT C. MORSINK GILES D. STEPHENS .FIG.5

4 Sheets-Sheet :5

April 25, 1967 G. D. STEPHENS ETAL CHART AND DRAWING FILE DEVICE Filed June 14, 1965 FIG. 6

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS ROBERT C. MORSINK GILES D. STEPHENS United States Patent ()fifice 7 3,316,046 Patented Apr. 25, 195 7 3,316,046 CHART AND DRAWING FILE DEVICE Giles D. Stephens, 4190 Balsam St., Wheat Ridge, Colo. 80033, and Robert C. Morsink, 8672 W. Brittany Drive, Littleton, Colo. 80120 Filed June 14, 1965, Ser. No. 463,632 6 Claims. (Cl. 312--253) The invention for which a patent is solicited is a flexible and multi-purpose device for the filing, storage, and protection of drawings, charts, maps, illustrations, and other graphic arts materials. This device provides a means by which such graphic items may be stored flat in drawers, rolled, or both, depending upon which configurations and combinations of the device are utilized.

Size variance of records and drawings is such that no known existing filing device of fixed dimensions can store or contain them without causing them to be folded, creased, rolled, or otherwise altered, making handling and reference difiicult and often resulting in damage.

.This device is completely flexible for multi-purpose uses. It is to be constructed from extruded aluminum, light metal, plastic, fiber board, or other suitable material.

This invention is distinguished from other chart and filing devices in that it is not ready made, but constructed into component parts and packaged with all parts disassembled so that it may be assembled to the desired configuration by the intended user. ing base units, side lock plates, and cover units enable the user to select whichever width and depth he may deem feasible, and to adjust the height by cutting the corner supports to any vertical length desired. Thus, the width, depth, and height of the filing device are selective, and the user may build the file to any size best suited for his filing needs.

This invention is further distinguished by the fact that its embodies drawers and storage tubes of various dimensions depending upon, but compatible with, the base unit and cover unit selected. It is intended that storage tubes and drawers be made interchangeable so both may be incorporated into the assembled file either separately or in combination forming a single unit of tubes and flat file drawers for storage of drawings, graphic arts, film, etc.

Also, a unique feature is the use of compressible spring stabilizer units which enable the file to be assembled to warehouse and vault ceiling height and thus brace and stabilize the file to assure it remains in an upright position. This feature will also allow the file to be assembled within portable enclosures such as a van truck, trailer, aircraft, rail cars, or other transportation devices, and requires no additional fastening or supporting members.

Still another unique feature, is the incorporation of L- shaped drawer guides that may be installed at various positions in the unit providing an open space between the guides on one side and the other. Thus, bulky or oversize materials may be stored by simply omitting the drawer(s) above the one selected for bulk storage.

Other unique and novel features of this chart and filing device is the ability to minimize space requirements by selecting the most advantageous size and combination of drawer and storage tube units, and assembling the file for multi-purpose use to any width and height desired, thus eliminating the waste of costly floor space through increased vertical storage capacity.

Further, this invention embodies a chart and drawing device which, when inserted in the drawer, will protect graphic materials placed therein from damage, dust, moisture, and other contaminants and allow rapid identification and access to the stored material.

Also, a part of this invention is a drawing identification Various sizes of match index plug, which is inserted into a rolled drawing and aids in the retrieval of the document.

FIGURE 1 is an exterior perspective view showing the assembled file in vertical position with drawers installed. This drawing and chart file uses compressible spring plungers to stabilize the unit against the ceiling. These plungers compensate for differing ceiling heights and allow the unit to be built as tall as ceiling heights permit for volume engineering drawing storage. The units are adjustable in that various size base plates and covers can be used where a narrower or wider file is desired. The slide devices that support the shelves, tubes, and/or both shelves and tubes are single independent support devices rather than fixed solid shelf units. This design makes the device unique in that its component parts can be assembled and used without the compressed plunger spring simply by using any desired height size corner support pieces. Thus, a file unit may be assembled from a minimum of one drawer/tube unit high to whatever height the ceiling may be.

FIGURE 2 is an exterior perspective view showing the file in an upright position with filing tubes inserted in lieu of drawers. When assembled, the unit allows drawers and tubes to be used in combination if desired. The unit incorporates the same compressed spring plungers (see FIG. 1) to stabilize the file against the ceiling.

FIGURE 3 is a cut-away perspective view of the tube file for the storage of rolled drawings or charts. This component is installed in the assembled unit (see FIG. 2). The component consists of a box into which a template of various size tubes have been molded. The box and template are to be fabricated from fiber board, wood, metal, or plastic. Rolled drawings may be inserted into the proper size tube compatible to the diameter of the rolled drawing. A plug 13, to which identifying indicia has been added, is then inserted into the exposed end of the rolled drawing. The plug aids in indexing and identification of the tube contents and assists in removing the material from the tube.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the drawer to be fabricated from fiberboard, wood, metal, or plastic and is used for protecting, indexing, and storing drawings or materials in flat mode. The graphic material is inserted between individual sheets of flexible, transparent, and protective material 11 which is affixed to a rod that is inserted into a lock slot at the rear of the drawer. This device protects the drawer contents by holding them in place and allows the graphic materials to be removed singularly or as a group and hung in a vertical position for withdrawal or insertion of additional material or for review of drawings or materials.

FIGURE 5 is a detail perspective view of the rod and slot device for holding graphic materials in the drawer.

FIGURE 6 is a detail perspective, exploded view of the compressed spring plunger, shelf, top piece, and support member. Also shown is the key slot for attaching and locking a decorative molding cover for the support member.

FIGURE 1 shows the assembled drawing file, using drawers although tubes may be used interchangeably with drawers, ready for installation between floor and ceiling. 1 will compress into the sleeve 2 and compensate for any variance in ceiling height to stabilize the unit when used to full ceiling height capacity. The compressed spring plunger eliminates the necessity for additional bracing when used in warehouse or vault type storage as each unit is self supporting. The plungers need not be used on file devices that are assembled into units less than ceiling height.

FIGURE 1-3 is a top piece to be available in various sizes used for joining the four corner support pieces and adding stability to the unit. The top piece may be in- '3 a stalled at any desired height, and serves as both a structural member and a cover for the top of the unit.

FIGURE 14 is a side sheet to cover the sides of the file and protect the drawer contents from exterior contamination. It also serves as a decorative feature and can be designed or colored to match the decor of the fixtures in the area where the unit is used. It may or may not be used on all filing devices.

FIGURE 15 is the base plate, to be available in various sizes, which is placed upon the floor and to which the support members 6 are inserted. 7 is an L-shaped member which is installed and fastened to the support members 6. The purpose of the L-shaped member is to provide a supporting surface to the drawer 8.

FIGURE 2 is identical to FIG. 1, except that the L- shaped members 7 are supporting the tube file arrange ment 9. The file may be assembled to use both tubes and drawers in combination in the same unit.

FIGURE 39 shows the front of the tube file arrangement. This item is a removable unit made so that it may be inserted into the box and provides individual compartments into which rolled drawings or graphic material may be inserted. 13 is an index identification plug to which indicia may be added pertaining to the materials stored in the tube and aids in locating and removing the tube contents. The item 9 may be removed, thus allowing the box 10 to be utilized for bulk open storage, as a shelf, or as a drawing shipping container.

FIGURE 4-8 is a view showing the detail of the drawer for flat storage of drawings. The drawer contents are placed between protective sheets of clear flexible material 11 and attached to a holding rod which is inserted into a slot at the rearmost part of the drawer. This prevents the contents from sliding in the drawer, and provides a protective covering for the contents. The rod and contents, as a unit, may be removed from the drawer (see FIG. 5) and hung on appropriate hooks in a vertical position. A handle, attached to the frontmost part of the drawer, is used to slide the drawer onto the support L members 7 and in and out of the assembled upright unit (see FIG. 1).

FIGURE 5-S is a lock slot cut into the rearmost portion of the drawer side piece (see FIG. 4) and receives the rod to which drawings or other graphic material 11 has been afiixed.

FIGURE 6 is a cut-away view which shows the details of the compressed spring plunger 1, 14, 16, 17, the structural corner member 2 with holes for attaching the top piece 3, and L-shaped drawer supports 7.

FIGURE 6-1 shows the plunger with rubber cap 14 installed. The plunger is so constructed as to compress the spring 16 when downward pressure is applied to the cap 14.

FIGURE 6-2 is the structural corner member to which all components are attached by means of fastening devices, i.e., screws, nuts, and bolts.

FIGURE 6-3 is an exploded view of the top piece installed prior to attaching the plunger mechanism 17 and corner support member 2.

FIGURE 64 is a view of the side sheet (see FIG. 1) prior to assembling the corner support member 2.

FIGURE 66 is a decorative cap strip that snaps into and locks into slots 18 and covers the interior of the plunger mechanism and holes in the support corner member 2. A locking screw on the topmost end of the strip 6 prevents the decorative cap strip from sliding up or down.

FIGURE 6-17 is the holder into which the plunger mechanism is assembled. The holder 17 is attached to the support corner members by means of appropriate fastening devices.

FIGURE 6-7 shows the L-shaped shelf support and slide member which is attached to the corner support member 2 by means of a self tapping screw 19 which is inserted through holes in the support corner member 2 and sets into a soft grommet in the L-shaped member 7.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, there is shown a filing cabinet for sheet material comprising four upright members 2. disposed in a rectangular pattern to form a cabinet enclosure. The lower end of each upright member is secured to one of the corners of base plate 5 which is disposed on the lower stationary surface. The upper end of each upright member 2 supports an extensible and retractable compression member which includes a plunger 1 having a cap 14 of flexible material at its top with the plunger reciprocally supported between upper and lower surfaces attached to the corner member and a compression member or spring 16 encompassing the plunger 1 between these surfaces and arranged for compressing the spring 16 when the plunger 1 is pushed downwardly into the upright members for securing the upright members between upper and lower stationary surfaces.

Each of the upright members 2 of the cabinet enclosure are illustrated as generally of right angle section having transverse surface portions which define an inwardly turned corner. The outwardly extending transverse surfaces of the support members are rounded by slotted members secured therein which receive rounded corner pieces 6 in snap fitting relationship.

Pairs of elongated coacting guide members 7 are disposed in vertically spaced relationship within the cabinet enclosure. Each guide member 7 is preferably of generally right angle section and has depending and horizontal surface portions. Each guide member 7 is provided with spaced apertures on its depending portion herein illustrated as three which aline wit h spaced apertures on the adjoining corner upright members 2 and which combine with suitable securing means, such as a self-tapping screw 19 for securing the guide member 7 to the corner members at selective elevations and dispose the horizontal surface portions of each coacting pair in facing relation along opposite sides of the cabinet enclosure.

A holder for sheet material illustrated in FIG. 1 as a drawer and in FIG. 2 as plural tubular members arranged in a box-like configuration is seated on the horizontal surface portion of the coacting guide members 7 and each includes an upright panel extending from one side to the opposite side of the cabinet to substantially fill the space between each guide member 7 and thereby form the forward face of the cabinet. With this arrangement, the sheet material holders are slidable from a closed position within the cabinet to a position outside the cabinet and the guide members are easily adjusted vertically to accommodate sheet material holders of various sizes and will support either the drawer type (FIG. 1) or the tube type (FIG. 2) storage of sheet material or a combination thereof as previously described.

A top closure panel 3 includes notched portions at each corner which fit against the inturned corners of each upright member 2 and include apertures for alinement with selected apertures of each upright corner member 2 for detachable connection of the top closure panel with the upright members by suitable fasteners, such as screws 19, for closing the top of the cabinet. This top closure panel 13: also provides added support for the corner upright memers 2.

Side closure panels 4 include end portions having spaced apertures for alinement with the apertures of the upright members 2 on its transverse surface portion opposite its supporting surface for the guide members for detachable connection of the side panels 4 with the upright members 2 by suitable fasteners such as screws 19 for closing the sides of the cabinet.

We claim:

1. In a filing cabinet for sheet material, four upright members including extensible and retractable compression means at the upper end and a base member at the lower end of each upright member for securing the ends of the upright members between upper and lower stationary surfaces in a rectangular pattern to form a cabinet enclosure, pairs of elongated coacting guide members disposed in vertically spaced relationship within said enclosure, means for disposing the guide members of each coacting pair at a selected elevation on separate upright members in a range throughout the lengthwise extent of said upright members and disposing horizontal surface portions thereof in parallel relation along opposite sides of the cabinet structure, holder means for sheet material seated on horizontal surface portions of the coacting guide members of each pair and substantially filling the space therebetween, said holder means being slidable along said horizontal surface portions from an enclosed position within the cabinet to a second position outside the cabinet, and closure means adapted for detachable connection with each of said upright members at selected elevations for closing at least the top and sides of said enclosure.

2. In a filing cabinet as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said holder means is a box-like drawer.

3. In a filing cabinet as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said holder means is a plurality of tubular members open at the forward end and arranged in a box-like configuration.

4. In a filing cabinet for sheet material, four upright members including extensible and retractable compression means at the upper end and base means at the lower end of each upright member for securing the ends of the upright members between upper and lower stationary surfaces in a rectangular pattern to form a cabinet enclosure, each of said upright members having transverse surface portions defining an inwardly turned corner, pairs of elongated coacting guide members disposed in vertically spaced relationship within said enclosure, each guide member having depending and horizontal surface portions, guide securing means inclusive of spaced apertures on said depending guide member portions and said upright member surfaces and pin-shaped members extending through alined apertures of said guide members and support members for disposing the guide members of each coacting pair at a selected and different elevation on separate upright members and for disposing horizontal surface portions in parallel and facing relation along opposite sides of the cabinet enclosure, a holder for sheet material seated on the horizontal surface portions of the coacting guide members of each pair and substantially filling the space therebetween, said holder being slidable along said horizontal surface portions from an enclosed position within the cabinet to a second position outside the cabinet, top closure means including notched portions ateach corner for fitting in against the inturned corners and transverse surface portions of said upright members, each said notched corner portion having at least one aperture for alinement with selected apertures of the surfaces of said ,upright members for detachable connection with each of said upright members for closing the top of said enclosure, and side closure means including end portions having spaced apertures for alinement with the apertures on one surface of said upright members transverse to the surface supporting said guide members for detachable connection to the sides of said upright members for closing the sides of said enclosure.

5. In a filing cabinet as set forth in claim 4 'wherein the space between the transverse surface portions which extend outwardly from the inturned corner of each upright member is filled with a detachable rounded corner piece.

6. In a filing cabinet for sheet material, four upright members supported at their lower ends on a base member in a rectangular pattern to form a cabinet enclosure, each of said upright members having transverse surface portions defining an in-turned corner, pairs of elongated coacting guide members disposed in vertically disposed relationship within said enclosure, each guide member hav ing depending and horizontal surface portions, guide securing means for disposing the guide members of each coacting pair at a selected elevation on separate upright members in a range throughout the lengthwise extent of said upright members and disposing horizontal surface portions thereof in parallel relation along opposite sides of the cabinet structure, holder means for sheet material seated on horizontal surface portions of the coacting guide members of each pair and substantially filling the space therebetween, said holder means being slidable along said horizontal surface portions from an enclosed position within the cabinet to a second position outside the cabinet, top closure means including notched portions at each corner for fitting in against the in-turned corners and transverse surface portions of said upright members for closing the top of said enclosure, and means for securing said top closure means at each corner to said upright members at selected elevations for supporting the upper portions of said upright members in said rectangular pattern.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,475 9/ 1929 Brainard 312257 2,172,444 4/ 1940 Larson 312-257 2,831,745 4/1958 Parmet 312-257 2,872,265 2/ 1959 Shelly 312-107 2,991,040 7/ 1961 Levy 248-356 3,011,852 12/1961 Mahan 312-351 3,028,211 4/1962 Well et al. 312-257 3,181,922 5/1965 McBean 312-234.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,322,342 2/ 1963 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. IN A FILING CABINET FOR SHEET MATERIAL, FOUR UPRIGHT MEMBERS INCLUDING EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE COMPRESSION MEANS AT THE UPPER END AND A BASE MEMBER AT THE LOWER END OF EACH UPRIGHT MEMBER FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF THE UPRIGHT MEMBERS BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER STATIONARY SURFACES IN A RECTANGULAR PATTERN TO FORM A CABINET ENCLOSURE, PAIRS OF ELONGATED COACTING GUIDE MEMBERS DISPOSED IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE, MEANS FOR DISPOSING THE GUIDE MEMBERS OF EACH COACTING PAIR AT A SELECTED ELEVATION ON SEPARATE UPRIGHT MEMBERS IN A RANGE THROUGHOUT THE LENGTHWISE EXTENT OF SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERS AND DISPOSING HORIZONTAL SURFACE PORTIONS THEREOF IN PARALLEL RELATION ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CABINET STRUCTURE, HOLDER MEANS FOR SHEET MATERIAL SEATED ON HORIZONTAL SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE COACTING GUIDE MEMBERS OF EACH PAIR AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE SPACE THEREBETWEEN, SAID HOLDER MEANS BEING SLIDABLE ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL SURFACE PORTIONS FROM AN ENCLOSED POSITION WITHIN THE CABINET TO A SECOND POSITION OUTSIDE THE CABINET, AND CLOSURE MEANS ADAPTED FOR DETACHABLE CONNECTION WITH EACH OF SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERS AT SELECTED ELEVATIONS FOR CLOSING AT LEAST THE TOP AND SIDES OF SAID ENCLOSURE. 